Gas tax increase? Not so fast, legislature

Maryland's roads, tunnels and bridges are in need of repair. But before we raise the gas tax, all funding that has been removed from the Transportation Trust Fund to pay for other programs over at least the last two decades should be returned to the fund. To do this I suggest that the sales tax on gasoline and diesel fuel be directed to the trust fund until all of the money that has been removed is restored. I further recommend that legislation be passed to prevent these special funds from being removed from the fund in the future. At this point we do not know if the gas tax is too low. We only know that the fund has been improperly depleted.